Track-clamp.



T. N. ROBINSON. TRACK CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1914.

1,1 14,526. Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

/II/////////I/I////1 INVE IVTOR Tlzainaa' flffiom 6'072/ A TTORIVEYS HENORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTDLITH x. WASHINGTON D. C. '5

may

THOMAS NELSON ROBINSON, O13 MECHANICSVILL'E, NEW YORK.

TRACIK-CLAMP; I I

ini asae.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Oct. so, 1914.

Application filed January 24, 1914. Serial No. 814,087.

To all whom) it may concern I Be it known that I, THOMASN. ROBINSON, asubject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Mechanicsville,in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Track-Clamp,

of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description.-

This invention relates to track clamps or grips used in connection withrailway tracks and truck wheels.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter indicated for use in connection with a truck wheel whereby theclamp will automatically act between the wheel and the rail to preventmovement of the wheel or truck in the direction of the clamp. v

A further object of the invention 1s to improve this class of deviceswith respect to reliability of operation and facility with which the bi'ing element thereof may be renewed or replaced or with which the entireclamp may be detached or swung out of the way when not to be used for aclamping purpose.

The foregoing and other objects of the 111- vention will hereinafter bemore fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forminga part of this speclfication in which like characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views,

and in wh1ch Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fragment of railway rail,a railway wheel and truck thereon, and one of my improved clamps inoperative position; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the clamp with partsbroken away; and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials,and the rela tive sizes and proportions thereof, as well as the generaldesign of the mechanism,

be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit ofthe invention hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

At 10 I show a portion of a power or steam shovel truck frame havingassociated therewith a wheel 11 rolling upon a rail 12. It will beunderstood that 1 may employ aclamp 13 in connection with each wheel ofthe car or truck, but since the operation of all will correspond to oneof these devices, I show but one.

The clamp block 13 has a substantially fiat base surface 13 lying abovethe rail and a. curved surface 13 corresponding to the tread of thewheel 11 against which it opcrates. The point 13 of the block is carriedalong between the rear portion of the wheel and the upper surface of thetrack by any suitable means, whereby the block bearing against or bitinginto said rail will prevent the rearward movement of the wheel :ortruck. As a preferred means for securing the block to the truck forautomatic operation, I provide 'anarm 14: connected to one of thevertical bolts 15 of the truck frame, and said arm is adapted to swingaround in a horizontal direction or around the axis of said bolt so asto allow the block to be withdrawn from beneath the wheel and carried onthe same temporarily, when it is desired to back up the car or truck.Said arm 14 has an elbow extension 16 leading laterally through a hole17 in the upper part of the block 13 and has attached to its free end at18 a spring 19 whose other end is detachably connected by means of ahook.

20 or the like to the axle or other part of the truck. The force of thespring normally holds the block in the position'shown in Fig. 1, andagainst the'outer surface of the flange 11 of the wheel, or with a lip21 extending downwardly from the outer surface of the block lying snuglyagainst the side edge of the rail. The truck may be moved forwardly,therefore, freely, but the block will always be in positionwhen desiredto prevent the rearward movement of the truck. By unhooking the spring19, the block and its arm 14 may be swung around the axis of the bolt 15out of engaging position.

At 22 I show a detachable tooth preferably in the form of a triangularprism inserted into the bottom of the block in a seat 22 and having itsbiting edge extend- 1. The combination with a railway rail and a wheelrolling thereon, of a clamping block conforming to the periphery of thewheel, means to support the block between the wheel and the rail, saidsupporting means providing for the swinging of the block laterallyaround a vertical axis, means normally resisting said swinging movement,and means carried by block to limit the inward movement of the blockunder the force of said resisting means.

2. The combination with a railway rail and a wheel rolling thereon, of aclamping block conforming to the periphery of the wheel, said blockhaving a hole extending laterally therethrough, a supporting arm havingconnection with the block through said hole, and a spring connected tothe inner end of the arm serving to hold the block in normal operativeposition.

of the wheel, and laterally adjacent the block, and a resilient memberon the from the end of said elbow and detachably connected the outerside of the.

3. The combination with a rail, a wheel rolling thereon, and an axle, ofa gripping block operating between the periphery of the wheel and therail, an arm pivoted at its upper end on a vertical pivot on one sidehaving an elbow extending side of the wheel opposite arm connected atone end to one at its other end to said axle and serving to insureautomatic action of the gripping block.

In. testimony whereof I have name to this specification in the twosubscribing witnesses.

THOMAS NELSON ROBINSON.

signed my presence of Witnesses:

OSCAR WARNER, FARRINGTON L. MEAD;

Copies of this-patent may be obtained for. five cents each, byaddressing the. Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

